Justice committee  Thanks to all of you. It was a good day.

Justice committee  Yes, I know.

Justice committee  In all of the categories for which statistics are compiled in New Brunswick, the rate is lower. I realize that for other categories, we can't be quite as certain. There are certainly many things going on in the world that we are not aware of, but if we ask to see a study that clearly proves incarcerating young persons lowers the crime rate, no one can provide us with one.

Justice committee  It does, Mr. Petit. I'm not here to talk about my personal life, but those who do know me know that I am acquainted with many family members who have been affected by crime. We do indeed have programs to help people get some quality of life back after falling victim to crime. Like a father that loves his children dearly, the best possible help that we can give crime victims is to take steps to prevent more crime.

Justice committee  This touches somewhat on the point that I raised. I talked about prevention resources. When I say prevention, I am talking not only about social services, but also about the number of police officers, programs aimed at getting vehicles out of the hands of criminals or programs for owners penalized by the fact that their homes are located in neighbourhoods with high crime levels.

Justice committee  It depends on the category. Compared to the national average, it is between 5% and 25% lower in some categories.

Justice committee  Correct.

Justice committee  Forgive me, I'm going to actually indulge in translation so I can be clear in my answer to you, Mr. Ménard. I would have some concerns that if you take the same factors that exist in the adult system and simply hand them over, then yes, those precedents begin to become relevant and you can have a one-size-fits-all approach.

Justice committee  I'm always prepared to concede that everyone is capable of making mistakes. However, I believe that the people who are directly involved with these young persons make fewer mistakes than we, the politicians, who propose a one-size-fits-all solution. If we are worried about the statistics, and if we want safe, crime-free communities, I think we need to rely more on the judges, lawyers and professionals who work directly with young persons.

Justice committee  It is lower.

Justice committee  That is correct.

Justice committee  I am aware of that. In New Brunswick we keep our own statistics on drug-related crimes. That is one of the reasons why we have given more powers to law enforcement officers, such as the power to seize vehicles and homes used for drug transactions.

Justice committee  That is the point. If I can leave the committee with anything, it is that. You can ask me a hundred questions about what you would do if a violent sexual offender was in the youth system. Well, they shouldn't be there. That's like asking what you would do if a violent sexual offender was enrolled in a grade 2 classroom.

Justice committee  Certainly, Madam. I refer you specifically to section 8 of the act which provides for the administration of cautions instead of the starting of judicial proceedings based in part on the young person's participation in extrajudicial, non-punitive programs. If I can talk briefly about the situation in New Brunswick, in the case of a young person who has not committed a violent offence, if that young person is prepared to take responsibility for his behaviour, then he is very quickly steered toward a program that will help him turn his life around.

Justice committee  And I would agree, for all that, that Youth Options is gone.